Shuttles To Replace T At Riverside And Newton Highlands

NEWTON, MA — Noisy overnight work on the Green Line track and signal replacement project began Monday, April 8. And it's going to take a while: Crews near Waban Station will be working Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 p.m. into the night. And that means shuttle buses.

Overnight work on the D Branch between Riverside and Newton Highlands will continue through July 5 on weeknights, according to the MBTA.

Shuttle buses will replace train service between Riverside and Newton Highlands after 8:30 p.m. on weeknights. On nights when there are Red Sox home games, shuttles will begin at 10:30 p.m.

Then when that's finished, bus shuttles will replace Green Line D train service between Newton Highlands and Brookline Hills in the evenings July 8 through December.

This is part of a three-year project that began in 2018 to replace 25,000 feet of track and 6.5 miles of signals on the Green Line, between Beaconsfield and Riverside on the D Branch.

Shuttles will replace train service, in coordination with the teams doing flood control work at Fenway, track repairs between Fenway and Riverside, and accessibility upgrades at Newton Highlands.

The D Line used to be a Commuter Rail route, and when it was converted to light rail in the 1950s, the MBTA installed much of the signal infrastructure that’s still in use today.

Those signals, say officials, are not as efficient as modern signal systems: when they indicate a problem, a crew member has to go out to the tracks to diagnose and fix the problem. This can cause long, frustrating delays in service.

The plan is to replace them with a more centralized, digital system that’s easier to maintain and monitor and diagnose and fix issues as they arise.

Shuttles will replace train service on weeknights and some weekends through 2020. But officials warn because the shutdowns are also being coordinated with work at Fenway and Newton Highlands, the schedule could change due to weather, construction progress and Red Sox home games.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).